💞Following a brief dispute with Israel over the Gaza ceasefire, the Palestinian militant group Hamas has agreed to release hostages on Saturday. The hostage-prisoner swap will continue as planned.
🔥"Hamas confirms its continued position to implement the deal according to what was signed, which includes exchanging prisoners according to the specified timetable," reads a statement issued by the group.
ꦏEarlier this week, Hamas has stated it will hold off the hostage swap on Saturday after an alleged violation of the ceasefire from Israel's side. However, Israel denied this and dismissed it once of Hamas "tactics" to halt the ceasefire.
This dispute also resulted in a sharp warning from US President Donald Trump 𒉰who warned of "all hell breaking out" if Hamas did not release the hostages. However, Trump also called for the release of all remaining hostages.
♏Following this warning, mediator countries Egypt and Qatar worked towards ensuring the ceasefire stays intact.
𓃲"The talks were characterised by a positive spirit," said Hamas, adding that Egypt and Watar "affirmed they would work to remove obstacles and fill gaps."
🦹The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was implemented on January 19, 2025. This is the second round of truce between the conflicting parties. The first truce was held for a week in November 2023, a month after the war in Gaza broke out.
